Canada edges USA… Sunday vs Russia on New Years Eve becomes winner take all

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan Strome scored first period goals and Malcolm Subban was stellar in net with 36 saves as Canada edged the United States 2-1 at the World Junior Hockey Championship

Nugent-Hopkins, who leads the World Junior Championship in scoring, got on the scoresheet at the 7:13 mark of the opening period beating U.S. netminder John Gibson stick side for his third goal of the tournament.

Strome then gave Canada a two-goal lead with his tournament-leading fourth goal seven minutes later. Going back to last year’s World Junior Championship in Calgary, the New York Islanders prospect has scored in four straight games and has a point in eight of his last nine.

But with Strome in the box for a delay of game penalty in the third, the Americans finally solved Subban on a power play goal by Jacob Trouba.

The match-up went a long way to determining the final standings as Canada’s win sets up a winner-take-all showdown with the host Russians on New Year’s Eve. Canada is 3-0 with nine points atop Group B, while Russia is just one point behind with two regulation wins and an overtime victory. The top team in the group will get a bye into the semifinals.